The Week in Comics: April 09 2014

This is my weekly column where I go through the new comics releases that I read every week, what I liked and what I didn’t. Safe to say there’ll be some spoilers but I’ll try to keep them light.So if you’re looking for what to read or just some random guy’s opinion on the comics he read this week (that’s me. Hi there!) then join me as I separate the BEST from the REST in The Week in Comics!

Boom! Ellis, Stevenson, Allen.So.Much.Fun. A book that is a breath of fresh air to the industry, with a feel of Adventure Time and centred around likeable, addictive characters I can’t wait to see more of. Fun for all ages and should be enjoyed by everyone. EVERYONE you guys!

I absolutely LOVE this book. The art is amazing – I mean, look at this –

The story is OTT action, gore and just plain fun as we see Robbie deal with the morning after the night before to end all night befores. A surprise villain makes life much more horrific and complicated, and this book is an instant buy for me. Definitely worth jumping on board for.

Batman Eternal #1

So the new weekly series begins, and boy does it kick off in a big way. Batman is pretty much the only DC title I enjoy reading, and I’m a big fan of what Scott Snyder has been doing with the world. While I’ve not caught up on Zero Year, I read Batman #28; that and the framing narrative for this issue makes me very excited for what’s to come. Great first issue, I’m going to keep going with this one.

Shutter #1

I love it when a new series comes out of nowhere, sweeps you up and transports you to another world. Saga did it. Umbral did it. Black Science did it, and now Shutter is doing it too. Kate Kristopher is the main character, a girl living in a world just like ours except everything is that much more fantastical – minotaurs riding the subway, dragons flying around New York, ghost ninjas…but what happens if everything becomes so special that you start to feel like nothing is?We don’t get much more than that in this issue, which shows us what it was like for Kate growing up with her kickass explorer father, and then showing us 20 years later when she visits him on her birthday. More of a character study than an exploration of the world it’s set in, this first issue is still a brilliant introduction and my personal pick of the week.

Captain Marvel #2

I never read the previous Captain Marvel series but if it was anything like this issue I’m starting to feel like I really missed out. Last issue was good, this issue was better. Guest starring the Guardians of the Cinema, I mean Galaxy, this just doesn’t stop flying at you – I almost felt exhausted just reading it! Kelly Sue DeConnick knows how to write the Guardians, and Carol plays great with them. Although where’s Angela? Despite her absence this is a great book, a lot of fun and worth keeping up with.

Iron Fist The Living Weapon #1

Now this is a gorgeous looking book. I read this and instantly thought “this is the future of Marvel”. The next in a seemingly endless line of books that are reinventing classic characters (Hawkeye, Black Widow, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, All New Ghost Rider etc), Iron Fist gets a brand new ongoing and it’s visually stunning.

Reminiscent of an old school Kung-Fu movie with grainy, “folded up” pages representing the flashbacks and frenetic, utterly unique layouts, this is a stunner. The story is great too – mysterious ninjas attack Danny Rand right in the middle of an identity crisis and events lead him to face his past and return to the mystical city of K’un lun. Brilliant.

Secret Avengers #2

I’ve seen a few people saying that this feels very much like a Hawkeye team book, and I could see that with the first issue. The art style, the humour; all very reminiscent of Fraction and Aja’s successful Hawkguy run. This issue though? This issue is all about M.O.D.O.K.

I mean, take a look at this:

I’m sorry, but this guy stole the show this issue. Saving Maria Hill’s life in the most ingenious and hilarious way possible, he deserves a round of applause! I’ve been trying to get #ClapForModok trending on Twitter just to give him his due.

Anyway, this has gone from a series that I picked up and flicked through, ultimately putting it back when something shiny caught my eye, to a book I can’t wait to read. And if that doesn’t make you #ClapForModok I don’t know what will.

The Royals: Masters Of War #3

This is still a very entertaining read. “What would have happened during World War II if all the royal families had superpowers?” is the premise and it is still throwing up surprises, and this time we see the full might of the Japanese Emperor. The splash pages in this are truly epic, showcasing the fantastic art of Simon Coleby. He’s taking a story with unbelievable scope in his stride. The trade of this 6 part series is looking to be something to invest in.

THE REST

All-New Doop #1

Well this was…weird. I suppose you can’t expect anything more from a book all about Doop can you? Nevertheless it was a lot of fun, and played with the concept of a character hidden in the margins like Doop is and takes a very literal slant on it. He’s always been a favourite of mine in Jason Aaron’s Wolverine & the X-Men run, and while this was very close to making it into the Best list (and I’m sure it will be for a lot of people), and had a few funny and clever moments, it was just too irreverent to make it. Worth a read though.

All-New X-Men #25

A gorgeous looking book, I can’t help but feel though that it’s style over substance. Not a great deal happens here, as Beast gets a good talking at by a mystery character who’s not who you think. Every page is a beautiful poster in the making, but aside from the odd hint or nod, nothing really happens and the issue could easily be skipped. Very nearly making the Best list because of the art, and the brilliant section with Kitty and Peter is worth the price of admission on its own.

Nightcrawler #1

As Nightcrawler claims in this issue “Some things never change!” and when Chris Claremont writes an X-Book you kinda know what you’re going to get. I know a lot of people were apprehensive about this issue, because on the one hand it was a new Nightcrawler ongoing! Spinning right out of the brilliant Amazing X-Men arc by Jason Aaron and Ed McGuiness, Nightcrawler’s back and that’s awesome. On the other hand though, a lot of folks have felt that in recent years Claremont’s writing has slipped from the seminal work he did on the X-Men from mid seventies straight on through to the 90s.

I’ve not read too much of his later work, but his early work is rightly regarded as some of the greatest X-Men stories ever told, so I was cautiously optimistic. I’m not sure if it’s nostalgia or what but I enjoyed it. It did feel like a step backwards, and in a week with such strong books all of which have new, fresh styles it missed out on the Best list, but this was fun, fast paced and looked fantastic. Nothing wrong with a bit of the Old School every now and then.

And that’s it for this week! A strong week full of books that feel like not just the future of Marvel but the future of the medium made it hard for everything to make it into my Best list but there were no out and out terrible books, so everyone’s a winner!